Matsuzaka and Red Sox NOT Close to a Deal

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

According the Boston Herald, there is a significant gulf between the Red Sox offer and Matsuzaka's asking price.

 

Link.

 

According to sources, the Sox’ initial proposal was roughly half of what the pitcher’s agent, Scott Boras, proposed. The most likely scenario is that the Sox proposed somewhere in the neighborhood of $7-8 million annually and Boras came in at roughly $15 million.

[LeftCoastCubFan]

According the Boston Herald, there is a significant gulf between the Red Sox offer and Matsuzaka's asking price.

 

Link.

 

According to sources, the Sox’ initial proposal was roughly half of what the pitcher’s agent, Scott Boras, proposed. The most likely scenario is that the Sox proposed somewhere in the neighborhood of $7-8 million annually and Boras came in at roughly $15 million.

Matsuzaka will end up blinking first. His Japanese team doesn't want him, they want the 51.1 mil. He is in line to only make a few mil in 2007 versus 20 or 30 mil total here. He'll take the big pay day. Boras will just take it till the final hour to wring out every last penny.

[RynoRules]

Do the Red Sox owe his Japanese employer the $51 mill no matter what?

[Soul]

According the Boston Herald, there is a significant gulf between the Red Sox offer and Matsuzaka's asking price.

 

Link.

 

According to sources, the Sox’ initial proposal was roughly half of what the pitcher’s agent, Scott Boras, proposed. The most likely scenario is that the Sox proposed somewhere in the neighborhood of $7-8 million annually and Boras came in at roughly $15 million.

Matsuzaka will end up blinking first. His Japanese team doesn't want him, they want the 51.1 mil. He is in line to only make a few mil in 2007 versus 20 or 30 mil total here. He'll take the big pay day. Boras will just take it till the final hour to wring out every last penny.

 

Interesting though. 7/8mil sounds well below market value to me given this year's market. Is there any scenario where other teams could start bidding for his services?

[Andy]

Do the Red Sox owe his Japanese employer the $51 mill no matter what?

Only if they get a deal done.

[Cubzfan64]

I heard an interview with a Japanese baseball reporter recently who said that culturaly it would be very humiliating for Matsuzaka to have to go back to Japan if he couldn't make a deal.

 

Boras (as much as I detest him) is doing what his client hired him to do - get the most $ he possibly can.

 

Unless I am mistaken, either Matsuzaka signs and plays for the Red Sox or he has to ge back to Japan and play for his old team for another season (they have to return the $51 mil also) and we go through the same circus again next year.

[RynoRules]

Do the Red Sox owe his Japanese employer the $51 mill no matter what?

Only if they get a deal done.

 

I hope they sign him - might put Manny on the block if they do.

 

BTW, nice job by the Panthers this weekend.

[Danny82]

I heard an interview with a Japanese baseball reporter recently who said that culturaly it would be very humiliating for Matsuzaka to have to go back to Japan if he couldn't make a deal.

 

Boras (as much as I detest him) is doing what his client hired him to do - get the most $ he possibly can.

 

Unless I am mistaken, either Matsuzaka signs and plays for the Red Sox or he has to ge back to Japan and play for his old team for another season (they have to return the $51 mil also) and we go through the same circus again next year.

 

Actually, if he went back to Japan for the next season, he would be a free agent after that--no more posting involved.

[mul21]

I heard an interview with a Japanese baseball reporter recently who said that culturaly it would be very humiliating for Matsuzaka to have to go back to Japan if he couldn't make a deal.

 

Boras (as much as I detest him) is doing what his client hired him to do - get the most $ he possibly can.

 

Unless I am mistaken, either Matsuzaka signs and plays for the Red Sox or he has to ge back to Japan and play for his old team for another season (they have to return the $51 mil also) and we go through the same circus again next year.

 

Actually, if he went back to Japan for the next season, he would be a free agent after that--no more posting involved.

 

Incorrect, he doesn't have the service time to be a FA after next year so there would be another posting according to Boras.

[davearm]

I heard an interview with a Japanese baseball reporter recently who said that culturaly it would be very humiliating for Matsuzaka to have to go back to Japan if he couldn't make a deal.

 

Boras (as much as I detest him) is doing what his client hired him to do - get the most $ he possibly can.

 

Unless I am mistaken, either Matsuzaka signs and plays for the Red Sox or he has to ge back to Japan and play for his old team for another season (they have to return the $51 mil also) and we go through the same circus again next year.

 

Actually, if he went back to Japan for the next season, he would be a free agent after that--no more posting involved.

 

Incorrect, he doesn't have the service time to be a FA after next year so there would be another posting according to Boras.

You're sort of both right here, from what I've been able to gather about the situation.

 

Matsuzaka will complete his service time with Seibu in April of 2008.

 

So it's conceivable that Seibu could post Matsuzaka again next fall.

 

It's also conceivable that (whether he's posted or not) Matsuzaka could "hold out" next offseason, and wait to become a free agent after the start of the 2008 season. At that point he would be free to negotiate with any/all MLB teams.

 

This would be analagous to the Roger Clemens situation of 2006, where he waited until May or whatever to decide where to sign, and then joined the team midseason.

[davearm]

It'd be great if the Sox put that $7-8M/yr offer on the table and just said, "don't call us again until you're ready to sign."

 

I'm sure they'd love to stick it to Boras like that. Too bad that pissing him off is probably not in their best long-term interests.

[E.J.]

It'd be great if the Sox put that $7-8M/yr offer on the table and just said, "don't call us again until you're ready to sign."

 

I'm sure they'd love to stick it to Boras like that. Too bad that pissing him off is probably not in their best long-term interests.

 

Especially if they're looking to still sign JD Drew.

[CuseCubFan69]

Couldn't the Red Sox trade his rights to another team?

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Couldn't the Red Sox trade his rights to another team?

 

That's an interesting scenario, but the Red Sox would either need a lot of young cheap talent or they would need a team to pitch in a large portion of the 51 million they used to post him.

[TheDude]

I don't think this news is unusual. The Red Sox have all the leverage and Boras has a reputation to protect. This will go down to the last few days. I wouldn't be surprised if Boras pulled some unusual tactics to get his client money, like trying to get the Lions to kick-in money toward his annual salary.

 

If the Red Sox offer 8 million a year, Boras has no say. It easily qualifies as a fair market offer, and nobody involved in this process wants Matsuzaka to go back to Japan, not even Boras, who would then have the reputation as the posting-system killer.

[Jake]

Part of me wonders how serious the Sox are about signing him, and how much of this was about keeping him away from the Yankees.

 

Question: Does the posting fee go affect Salary for luxury tax purposes?

[CuseCubFan69]

Couldn't the Red Sox trade his rights to another team?

 

That's an interesting scenario, but the Red Sox would either need a lot of young cheap talent or they would need a team to pitch in a large portion of the 51 million they used to post him.

 

Could the Dodgers trade Penny and a young OF guy for him?

[mul21]

Part of me wonders how serious the Sox are about signing him, and how much of this was about keeping him away from the Yankees.

 

Question: Does the posting fee go affect Salary for luxury tax purposes?

 

From everything I've read, posting fee has no impact on luxury tax numbers.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Couldn't the Red Sox trade his rights to another team?

 

Actually, I think I read somewhere that the rules have changed since Irabu, and they cannot trade him.

 

And seriously Boras, 15 million? Get real dude, he's not a FA.

[Bruno7481]

If he can swindle 15 million per year out of the Red Sox, then good for him. If I were the GM though, I would still be a little hesitant about paying a guy 15 million per year, plus the 51 million positng fee, who has never played one major league game in the U.S.

 

I feel sorry for Red Sox season ticket holders. I think the prices for seats will be going up.

[CuseCubFan69]

Couldn't the Red Sox trade his rights to another team?

 

Actually, I think I read somewhere that the rules have changed since Irabu, and they cannot trade him.

 

And seriously Boras, 15 million? Get real dude, he's not a FA.

 

If they sign him can they trade him or is he like a free agent and can't be moved until June 15th?

[1908]

It's also conceivable that (whether he's posted or not) Matsuzaka could "hold out" next offseason, and wait to become a free agent after the start of the 2008 season. At that point he would be free to negotiate with any/all MLB teams.

Not quite. He won't be a free agent until the 2008 season is complete even though he'd amass enough service time for free agency in April '08. Just the way free agency works in Japan.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Couldn't the Red Sox trade his rights to another team?

 

Actually, I think I read somewhere that the rules have changed since Irabu, and they cannot trade him.

 

And seriously Boras, 15 million? Get real dude, he's not a FA.

 

If they sign him can they trade him or is he like a free agent and can't be moved until June 15th?

 

That I don't know.

[mg420]

Part of me wonders how serious the Sox are about signing him, and how much of this was about keeping him away from the Yankees.

 

Question: Does the posting fee go affect Salary for luxury tax purposes?

 

the posting fee is not a salary paid to a player so therefore has no impact on the luxury tax of a team.

[Soriano12]

Red Sox = dumbasses.

:lol: :lol: :lol: